The manufacture of packages of "gel packs" having a chemical compound within a plastic package which retains thermal energy to provide a long term heating element or cooling element, is typically accomplished in one of two ways. First, the chemical compound or "gel" is premixed and injected in gel form into the open top of a package. The package is then sealed and conveyed for marketing. In a second method of packaging a gel pack, a dry particulate material is mixed with a liquid directly within an open topped package, and the package is then sealed and conveyed to a storage area. The liquid and particulate mix to form the desired gel product while sealed within container.
The major problem with prior art dispensing apparatus which dispense both liquid and dry materials within a package, is in the dispensing of the dry materials within the package. First, prior art apparatus utilize a vertically oriented auger to dispense the dry crystals into the package. Such augers are expensive pieces of equipment, and suffer several problems. First, vertical augers do not provide the desired accuracy in dispensing the dry crystals in the package, to obtain a consistent mixture in each package. Second, the open lower end of a vertical auger does not prevent liquid from reaching the interior of the "dry tube", thereby causing clumping or accumulation of crystals at the lower end of the dry tube, and affecting the dispensing of further dry crystals into each package.
In addition, prior art dispensing apparatus were not capable of easily changing the amount of dry crystal material added to a package, thereby restricting the flexibility of the dispensing apparatus.